1997 Ornamentals Research Report - AUrora - Auburn University

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Table I. Relative Importance Ratings
and Rankings of Five SERVQUAL
Dimensions by Traditional Garden Center
(TGC) and Non-traditional Garden Center
Outlet (NTO) Customers
Dimension TGC NTO
Points Rank Points Rank
Assurance 25.6 I 25.5 I
Responsiveness 24.3 2 23.9 2
Empathy 20.5 3 18.6 4
Reliability 17.5 4 17.3 3
Tangibles 12.1I 5 14.7 5
NTO customers had higher expectation of
tangibles than TGC customers (Table 2). Tangibles
was the only dimension where expectations were
met by either retail outlet. This was the only dimension for
which NTO customers had higher perceptions than TGC
customers.
Because many expectations were similar and
perceptions were not, gaps in service quality were determined.
Gaps were more numerous and larger for NTOs than for
TGCs, clearly giving a competitive advantage to TGCs in
service quality. However, gaps were evident for both types of
retailers.
If TGCs want to narrow the greatest advantage NTOs
have, they should focus on improving the quality of
equipment and printed materials, and making operating hours
more convenient. NTO customers had higher expectations and
m~~ 1 1 . . 1 m/l/T( J
Summer Annual Performance
in the Southern Landscape
DARBY M. QUINN, BRIDGET K. BEHE, J. RAYMOND KESSLER,
AND JAMES S. BANNON
In the summer of 1995 and 1996, bedding plant
cultivars were evaluated in the All-America Selections
(AAS) Display Garden at the E.V. Smith Research Center
(EVSRC) located in Shorter, 26 miles east of Montgomery,
Alabama. The objective of this study was to determine the
heat tolerance and landscape performance of summerflowering
annual plant cultivars.
METHODS
Seeds of the trial entries were donated by several
companies and grown by Wrights' Nursery and Greenhouse, a
ALABAMAAGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Table 2. Summary of the Expectations, Perceptions, and Gap
Scores on Combined Items Comprising the Five SERVQUAL
Dimensions for Traditional Garden Center (TGC) and
Non-traditional Garden Center Outlet (NTO) Customers
Dimension Expectations Perceptions Gap
TGC NTO TGC NTO TGC NTO
Assurance mean 4.63 4.63 4.30 3.61 * -0.33 -I.02*
Responsiveness mean 4.57 4.65* 4.12 3.50* -0.45 -1.15*
Reliability mean 4.72 4.72 4.06 3.79* -0.66 -0.93*
Empathy mean 4.42 4.39 4.14 3.57* -0.28 -0.82*
Tangibles mean 3.59 3.86* 3.67 3.91* 0.08 0.05*
Product mean 4.49 4.53 3.86 3.52 -0.63 -1.01
SERVQUAL mean 4.40 4.47* 4.03 3.65* -0.37 -0.82*
1* = Significantly different.
perceptions for product guarantees than did TGC customers.
NTOs need to improve their customers' perceptions of
assurance and empathy. Product and service differentiation are
important, but employees should be the primary focus for nontraditional
garden centers.
This study demonstrated that customers of NTOs and
TGCs have very similar expectations of service quality from
their respective retailers. However, TGCs clearly better met
customer expectations. Both types of retail outlets had
significant product and service quality gaps. Narrowing
product and service quality gaps by focusing first on the
largest gaps can be a substantial component of a marketing
strategy to improve competitiveness.
local commercial transplant producer. Beds were located in
Norfolk-Orangeburg loamy sand association soil (fine, loamy,
siliceous, thermic Typic Kandiudults). Raised beds were tilled
and fumigated with methyl bromide two weeks before planting.
No other fungicides or insecticides were applied during the
trial period. A commercially available slow-release fertilizer
(18N-2.6P-10K) was preplant incorporated into the beds as
per soil test recommendations. No additional fertilizer was
applied during the season.
Transplants of 245 cultivars were planted on May 17,
1995, while transplants of 400 cultivars were planted on June
5, 1996. Twelve plants per cultivar were grown in full sun,
with the exception of impatiens, which were grown under
aluminum hoop frames covered with 60% black shade fabric.
In 1996, begonias, lobelias, and geraniums were grown in
both full sun and under 60% shade. Rainfall was